Le Collet d'Allevard, Lans en Vercors, Alpe d'Huez, Alpe du Grand Serre, Chamrousse, Villard de Lans-Correncon, Meaudre, Autrans, Les 7 Laux, Gresse en Vercors
22 months since we escaped the Alps at the start of the first French lockdown, I feel hopeful enough to start a trip report for our ski holiday next week
As we all know it's been a rollercoaster ride to get here, especially since we optimistically booked almost all aspects of the trip 10 months ago! Our Edinburgh to Geneva flights have been cancelled 3 times, resulting in a time change, then a date change, and finally an airline change for the return leg - annoyingly removing the chance of skiing on arrival or departure day. Then came Swiss quarantine requirements, followed by the French travel ban. We considered scrapping everything and rebooking for Italy or Austria, but stuck with the Switzerland / France hybrid. Just as well, since the flights we'd been perusing for Italy and Austria have since been cancelled. Today it was finally announced that the French travel ban ends tomorrow, with enough time to book Covid tests, download apps, print QR codes, purchase face masks... not to mention packing.
I'd anticipated that Brexit and Covid would lead to higher prices for flights / car hire, so splashed out on a slightly longer trip to keep costs per day reasonable. We also wanted a region with lots of non-skiing activities (in case ski areas were forced to close again), not many gondolas (for Covid reasons), multiple resort choices (in case of outbreaks shutting certain resorts), and an airport with lots of flights to the UK (in case we need to leave in a hurry). Hence we're staying in the valley town of Vizille near Grenoble, within striking distance of several resorts. Budget is tightish, so we'll be using local lift pass promotions (I think I've got these sussed) and eating in a lot. Ski areas on our radar include (grouped by region):
- Les 7 Laux, Chamrousse & Le Collet d'Allevard
- Villard de Lans-Correncon, Lans en Vercors & Autrans-Meaudre
- Alpe d'Huez (revisit) & Alpe du Grand Serre
And a few backups (probably won't get round to these):
- Les 2 Alpes (revisit), Gresse en Vercors, Col de Rousset, Font d'Urle, St Pierre de Chartreuse
Conditions seem fairly good following recent snowfall, with a protracted dry spell looking to last well into next week or beyond. Should be ideal for piste skiing.
Chamois chair at Les 7 Laux
Covid checklist (Scotland to France via Geneva)
Please let me know if I'm missing anything!
- lateral flow test (Randox test at home, £14.50pp, booked) taken <24 hrs before crossing the French border (satisfies both Swiss & French rules)
- lateral flow test (Randox test at home, £14.50pp, booked) within 2 days of arriving back in the UK
- completed PLF forms for Switzerland, UK and France
- no quarantine required at any stage
- NHS Scotland app international travel QR codes showing recent booster jab (+ Tous Anti Covid French app, as it works offline)
- screenshots and printed versions of QR codes as backups
- FFP2 masks technically required for lifts (but in most cases a buff will probably be fine)
- travel insurance to cover enforced quarantine abroad & Covid healthcare (+ usual winter sports cover, EHIC, car hire excess insurance etc.)
- passport with adequate time left on it - must get it stamped at border since Brexit
Now we just need to avoid catching Covid in the run up to our LFT. In the meantime, please chime in with local recommendations or if I have got any of the Covid requirements wrong. I'll add photos and a cost breakdown at the end of the trip. Finally, if your own trip has been affected, I am sorry and I hope you get a chance later in the season.
What could possibly go wrong?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Mon 4-03-24 23:07; edited 15 times in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@denfinella, curious to hear how you get on staying in Vizille.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
You can scrub St Pierre de Chartreuse - largely closed due to lack of staff.
@denfinella, did you have a code to get Randox tests at that price?
I paid £18.95 each, not much difference, but every little helps for the 2 weekends in March and April...
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@denfinella, this is davidof's stamping ground, he will be a mine of information if you need any, see his personal ratings in this thread: https://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=151118#3520477). Though, knowing you, you've probably researched everything exhaustively.
My maternal grandparents and other family members were hidden in Allevard in the War. But I've never been to that region. I shall read your trip report with interest.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Arno wrote:
@denfinella, curious to hear how you get on staying in Vizille.
Indeed - has always looked like a ghost town when I 've driven through but may just be that grand delapidated buiding on the edge of town gives that vibe.
After all it is free
After all it is free
@Arno, @Dave of the Marmottes, I will report back! It seems quite nice on Google streetview, but looks can be deceiving.
@davidof, thanks, yes I'd noticed that. Lots of angry people on their Facebook page Even if they can get the staff, I believe the safety certificates for the gondola and the chairlift above it haven't even been renewed for this season.
@swskier, £14 was the standard click and collect price. I think it's come down in the last few days.
@Hurtle, useful thread! Thanks. I've read up on several of @davidof posts (and also his website!).
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@denfinella, just checked their site, seems that's the case! That'll teach me for being organised!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@Dave of the Marmottes, @denfinella, I’ve visited it a few times and it is quite nice but never stayed overnight. The main road goes round the edge so you definitely don’t see the best of it. Has much more life than places like Livet and Gavet further up the valley.
Interested to hear how it is in the evenings and whether you think it’s a good base taking into account transfer times etc
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Collected Randox LFTs from the local shop today. The test kits are bog-standard, non-Randox-branded boxes of the type you get from the NHS for free, each containing a single test. I guess it therefore doesn't matter which ones we use for pre-departure and which ones we save for day 0-2, since there's no way to tell which is which? (The email confirmation for the day 0-2 tests contains the reference numbers for the UK passenger locator form.)
Also downloaded the Tous Anti Covid app since it works offline, unlike the Scotland one. Might be of use to others: TAC wouldn't accept uploading from a photo or screenshot of my NHS app QR code, so I downloaded the official PDF certificate from NHS Scotland and uploaded a picture of the QR code in that instead, which was accepted.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Be aware that there is a new gondola in Allemond which gives you super easy access to the Alpe d'Huez ski area. The drive from Vizille is only 30 minutes or so, and much easier than the similar-length drives to Chamrousse and La Morte. Parking is reportedly a bit limited, but should be more than sufficient on weekdays.
Also, traffic around Grenoble can be quite bad at rush hour, so bear that in mind when going to Les 7 Laux or Villard de Lans.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
balso wrote:
Also, traffic around Grenoble can be quite bad at rush hour
Contender for "understatement of the year" there !!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@denfinella, I hope that you have a lot of fun, in principle you have chosen a great base location!
Would it be possible to post some photos please? We used to live nearby and are still sentimental as hell about the place
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Vizille with its royal palace, is considered the birthplace of the French revolution when, on the 21 July 1788, representatives of the Dauphine Parliament met on the indoor tennis court to demand a new political order. This followed the famous "night of the tiles" on the 7th June 1788 when revolting French people protested at soaring food prices by taking to the roofs of nearby Grenoble and throwing tiles on the royal troops. The Vizille meeting is also seen as the start of the takeover of working class protests by the middle classes who wanted a greater share of power.
Vizille was also the home and base camp for Tour de France riders Paul Kimmage and Thierry Claveyrolat, the "Eagle of Vizille". Okay that doesn't quite have the same ring as "Eagle of Toledo" but Claveyrolat still won a KOM title on the Tour de France and taking the Bourg d'Oisans Morzine stage the following year. Built like a Columbian rider, he was made for the mountains. In '89 he looked like was going to take the World title at Chambery but as often happens the French team managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory when Laurent Fignon dragged a group of riders up to Claveyrolat, he finished in 5th place devastated by Finon's stab in the back.
After retiring Claveyrolat bought the "station cafe", renamed "l'Etape" but, according to Kimmage, in turning the seedy town cafe full of drunks into a chic night spot he'd perhaps failed to spot what had made the bar work and drove away the clientelle without finding a new market. Kimmage claimed that Claveyrolat was drowning in debt and drinking heavily. Returning to the bar on the 13 August 1999 in his powerful BMW he had a head on collision with a Renault. The four passengers in the Renault were seriously injured, a teenager blinded. Claveyrolat was driving too fast and had been drinking. A month later he was dead. He'd blown his brains out with a hunting rifle. A suicide note gave instructions for the funeral: "no flowers, no friends". He ieft a wife and two young children, Joris and Laurienne. Today Joris and Lauriennne bitterly disputes Kimmage's story saying the bar worked really well and never had any debts and the suicide was unrelated to the accident.
Pedalleur de charme, with a dark side.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Tue 18-01-22 19:50; edited 1 time in total
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Really looking forward to your reports, I see you are off tomorrow, so bon voyage and all that, @denfinella,
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@balso, yes, we'll park at Allemond for Alpe d'Huez. That'll be on Saturday so we'll make sure to arrive early to get a space. Grenoble traffic looks manageable but the tailbacks in the (unavoidable) gorge between Vizille and Allemond looked awful on Google Maps last weekend.
@JamesHJ, thanks, I'll definitely report back and will add photos (the latter probably not until I get home though as it's a bit fiddly).
@davidof, thanks for the history. Nice and morbid - wouldn't expect anything less from you!
@Pamski, thank you!
LFTs are negative so looking good for tomorrow Haven't received the email certificates from Randox, but they also appear as PDF files on the Randox app which will suffice instead.
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Arrival day
We've safely made it to Allevard near Chambery, where we're staying for a single night (due to changed flight date) before moving onto Vizille for the remainder of the trip.
Journey went pretty smoothly. Edinburgh airport was at its quiet and efficient best, with few flights departing. Our Geneva flight was 95% full though.
Swiss PLF, antigen test and vaccine certificates all inspected both at Edinburgh check-in and Geneva passport control. 40min queue for the latter, as we landed at the same time as a Birmingham flight (which had noticeably poor mask compliance).
Car hire staff (£269 for 10 days, Europcar from Swiss side, Skoda Fabia with winter tyres and chains) didn't try to upsell anything, but we found a few areas of unreported damage which we had to go back and query. Then, just over the border into France, the tyre pressure warning came on. Stopped to check and there's a big graze on the driver's side wheel rim / tyre which we hadn't seen in the multistorey car park earlier - 99% sure not caused by us - we would have noticed! Phoned Europcar to report it but they wouldn't pick up. Hopefully won't 1. have a flat tyre tomorrow morning, or 2. be billed for the scrape (we do have excess insurance)
Cloudy weather this evening with lying snow on all the hills around Geneva / Annecy / Chambery - even a bit by the sides of the autoroute. Went for a wander around Allevard tonight, which was charming but dead (winter is low season here), and bought two superb and very large takeaway pizzas (€9-14) from La Pizzaiollo at 8pm, just in time as they were just turning the lights off!
Apartment (£30, Airbnb) is unexpectedly luxurious with all mod cons - rainforest shower, WiFi, newly refurbished, underfloor heating - though no kitchen, so wouldn't be ideal for a full week.
It's good to be back in the Alps.
Allevard Airbnb
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Mon 31-01-22 16:47; edited 1 time in total
Perfect first day back on skis at Allevard's local ski station (1450m), 15 minutes' worth of hairpins above the main village. Picked up skis / boots and explored the ~35km of runs - the ideal size for a single day, with ample time to repeat the most interesting parts. €17.40 midweek lift pass is a bargain!
1cm of fresh snow on immaculately groomed pistes; not a rut or death cookie in sight - very impressive. More or less sunny until the last hour when some cloud / fog drifted in. Freezing level around 900m. Slopes mostly face northwest, so lots of shade especially at first.
There are four separate lift bases, each with a free car park, though that makes the ski area sound bigger than it really is. Le Collet d'Allevard is a perfect resort in miniature - lots of variety in terrain (both wooded and open) and gradient. The main lifts are three slow, four-seater chairs from three of the car parks, a detachable six pack up to the high point (2100m), and two longish drags from the fourth car park. Reputedly has the largest night skiing area in Europe. Stunning views of the Chartreuse and towards Chambery.
Quiet except for a few ski schools - no need to share any lifts, and buffs were fine as face coverings. Presumably because of Covid, staff stayed in the lift huts and didn't help with boarding chairs / drag lifts - seems sensible. Vaccination QR code required at lunch but not for any lifts.
All 33 pistes were open with excellent cover, despite negligible snowmaking. Most of the area is really blue / red gradient, so some greens are a bit steep and the longer, pisted blacks are pretty tame. The shorter, ungroomed Plagne and Tremplin deserved their black status. Excellent beginner's area at Super Collet.
There were lots of fun rollers / tight turns etc. Highlights: Tetras followed by Chamois (red), Ecureuil (red), Cembro (red). The Pre-Rond sector had the most interesting runs overall.
We had lunch at l'Ecureuil at the foot of the Pre-Rond drag. The menu was fairly simple with the notable exception of two of the three plats du jour: an enormous ham hock on lentils, and duck thighs with roast veg / rice (both €12). Recommended.
We're now based in Vizille for the rest of the trip. Our Airbnb (£189 for 9 nights) is small as expected, but has the essentials including a kitchen area and WiFi.
Super Collet
Super Collet
Les Grands Moulins from the top of the ski area
Pre-Rond sector
Ham hock plat du jour
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Mon 31-01-22 16:51; edited 8 times in total
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@denfinella, Collet d'Allevard can have floodlit skiing, probably not midweek though unless there is a race.
Today's weather forecast was a bit iffy so we opted for Lans en Vercors - the most sheltered of the ski areas on our list. About an hour's drive up onto the Vercors plateau, with lots of parking next to the piste.
Lans en Vercors is entirely tree-lined, with a small vertical of just over 400m. The 23km of slopes extend along a northwest facing hillside, served by about a dozen drag lifts (no chairs), some quite long. There is a superb viewpoint from a viewing platform at the top, suspended over cliffs dropping towards Geneva and the Isere valley. Midweek day lift pass €17.85 (it's even cheaper earlier in January).
Winds were lighter than forecast, but it was still bitterly cold (freezing level around 600m). Often sunny at the foot of the slopes, with cloud coming and going at the top. Perfect snow conditions once again, and it was so quiet that we found untracked corduroy even on the final run of the day.
The area seemed to be the perfect place for a first skiing holiday, as long as you don't mind drag lifts. There's a vast array of green nursery slopes, and an equally large number of gentle blues, including several from top to bottom. Steep slopes are at a premium, with a couple of (excellent) wide reds and a single easy black. Highlights included the Stade de Slalom (red), Gentianes (red & blue) & Belvedere (blue). The area does lack a little variety; the terrain and views are all quite similar, and the slopes all face the same direction.
Lunch at La Cabane des Jassinets was a "Vercorine" platter of salad, charcuterie, and potatoes doused in melted local cheese. And a decent burger / chips. Decent food, but at €15.50 each, less keenly priced than yesterday.
We missed the notorious Grenoble traffic in the morning but the drive back involved a tedious jam - I've been writing this post while in the passenger seat.
View north from the top of the Combe des Virets drag
View south from the top of the Combe des Virets drag
Chevreuils (blue)
Gentianes (red) from the top of the Sierre (drag)
Belvedere (blue) with Meaudre ski area in the distance
Reds from the top of the Roche Rousse drag
Tetras (black)
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Mon 31-01-22 17:01; edited 3 times in total
After all it is free
After all it is free
Great thread.
Looking forward to hearing about Les 7 Laux.
@denfinella, btw you need to adjust your days to the dates re: "Friday 20/1 - Le Collet d'Allevard" and "Saturday 21/1 - Lans en Vercors" - it's still Friday here for sure!
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
@Layne, Les 7 Laux is a really good area (based on one day skiing with a local) - super handy for Grenoble so probably best avoided at the weekends if you have the choice though
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@denfinella, great stuff! Shame you missed the gratin raviole with bleu de vercors at Lans though
Love that stuff!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
@denfinella, fascinating as always, love hearing about these smaller areas. Le Collet d'Allevard sounds great!
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
@Layne, thanks. Have adjusted the dates. Les Sept Laux is on the menu for towards the end of next week.
@JamesHJ, that sounds nice - perhaps they'll have it at some of the other Vercors areas?
@ElzP, thank you! We liked Le Collet a lot (for a day).
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Full sunshine for our day at Alpe d'Huez. There's a new lift base in the valley at Allemond, making the journey a straightforward 30 minutes from Vizille, with no windy roads. Saturday passes are discounted to €34 if bought online in advance, saving nearly 50% compared to the standard rate.
Alpe d'Huez is very well known so I won't give a detailed description here, but it's set apart from other major French resorts by its sunniness - both in climate and by the number of south facing slopes. When we last visited in mid January 2015 that was a curse, with about 50% of runs closed due to lack of snow. This time it was a blessing, with lovely soft snow and comfortable temperatures (still cold in shaded areas).
Almost all runs were open with the notable exception of Le Tunnel (insufficient snow to cover the rocks below the tunnel exit). We did a bit of a safari, following the sun around and visiting all the different villages and sectors: Vaujany, Pic Blanc, Auris, Maronne, Alpe d'Huez, Villard Reculas, Marmottes and finally back to Oz. It was good to try so many runs which were closed last time. Packed lunch to maximise skiing time.
Highlights included the always-enjoyable Sarenne (black, and the world's longest piste), a freshly groomed Col de Cluy (black, Auris), a quiet Olympique (red, Alpe d'Huez) and Chalets / Vaujaniate (blue / red, Vaujany). Ran out of time to do La Fare which was a shame - bad timekeeping on my part!
There are have been lots of new lift investments since our last visit, especially in the telemix / chondola department. However, the impressive lift capacities weren't enough to prevent irritating queues for all the big lifts out of Alpe d'Huez and Les Bergers, as well as for the Pic Blanc cable car. As a result we didn't spend so long in these sectors.
Snow conditions and piste grooming weren't quite up to the same standard as the previous days, with some ruts and ice boulders in Vaujany, a few worn patches in Auris, and even an icy run down to Oz. We had our vaccine passes checked in Oz, but mask compliance wasn't great at times on the crowded lifts. Also a predictable queue for the gondola back down to Allemond at the end of the day.
All in all another superb day though, with a great sense of travel and a slight sunburnt feeling by the end! Spontaneously decided on getting a couple of takeaway pizzas from a food van on the way back just before Vizille. Pretty good, and very reasonably priced at €6.50-11 depending on toppings.
New Eau d'Olle Express gondola for day trippers
Alpe d'Huez
Pistes down to Villard Reculas
Top of Pic Blanc cable car, looking towards Alpe d'Huez
Top of Pic Blanc, looking down the Glacier chair
Sarenne (black)
Sarenne (black)
Sarenne (black) - gorge section
Auris-en-Oisans
Maronne
Col de Cluy (black) above Auris
Edelweiss (blue) above Vaujany
Last edited by So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much on Mon 31-01-22 17:10; edited 1 time in total
Today was Sunday promo day at Alpe du Grand Serre: €18.50 for a day pass. This reasonably large day resort is set in the Maythesine mountain range at the top of a col, reached by numerous hairpins from the Vizille to Alpe d'Huez road.
The 55km of pistes are wonderfully varied and the terrain interesting: lots of rollers, tight turns, natural half pipes and some very wide motorway pistes. Trees low down, but generally the area is above the tree line and has a high mountain feel. Two tediously slow chairlifts form a chain up to Les Portes, beyond which is a windswept, open bowl with drag lifts fanning out in all directions, and a third chair to return. There are further drags on two more "outside" flanks of the bowl, and another one up from a second village lift base at Le Desert. Overall I would describe the terrain as quite unlike any other resort I've skied in the Alps - the upper bowl was surrounded by blocky peaks which looked like enormous sand dunes covered in snow.
The runs above the resort face northeast but the others are a mixture of aspects, which give a lovely variety of views - the highlight was looking south from the quiet Cloutons drag. Pistes were really quiet thanks to the low-capacity lifts - single drag lifts each serving multiple runs guarantee quiet slopes.
There were some excellent long blues and reds: our favourites were Vallons (red) and Blanche (red), away from all the lifts for the 550m vertical down to Le Desert. Marmottes (blue) and Combe Belle (blue) either side of the nearly 2km long Parche drag were also good fun. Not much steep stuff on piste, but there looked to be some excellent off piste routes.
Snow reliability seems to be a weakness: some key pistes are quite exposed to wind-scouring and also to the sun, and artificial snowmaking only covers one run. Today there were a few thin or stony patches, but generally cover was fine and the snow quality was excellent (warmish temperatures and sunshine all day today, but still very cold in the shade). All runs were open except the two blacks, which didn't have enough snow.
A day was only just enough time to ski all the runs, though we managed to fit lunch in at Les Gentianes by the base station. The boeuf borguignon plat du jour and a tartiflette came to only €18.80.
Overall I was very impressed with Alpe du Grand Serre - it's an excellent area, but only in good snow conditions and calm, sunny weather. We were lucky that both coincided with our visit.
Fayards (blue) down to the main base station
Main upper bowl
Top of the Portes Sud chair
Les Marais (blue) in the Olliere sector
Parche drag & Marmottes (blue) through the gully
Le Perollier runs from Cretes (blue)
Cloutons lift base on the back side
Clots (blue) underneath the Serriou chair - long runs to Le Desert start here
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Mon 31-01-22 17:19; edited 1 time in total
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@denfinella, do you hire gear when you do these multi resort trips? Just wondering how you manage if. Do you hire the gear in one resort and take it round with you?
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@denfinella, thanks for the reports. I must do Alpe du Grand Serre especially with it being 30 mins away.
I did the Sarenne today, love the run and marmottes 3 had no queue to get up there. The new Chalvet chair makes a difference getting out of the Sarenne.
Ski passes work ok?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@sugarmoma666, yes, we hire kit for the whole trip. Usually from the town / resort we are based in. This time (as we are not staying in a ski town) we hired from our first ski area and will have to detour back there to return the kit on the last day. That does cause a potential risk if there's a fault with any of the kit, but we hire from a chain store so I reckon another branch would be willing to take a look. (Hasn't happened yet!)
We have a canvas ski bag to carry the skis / poles inside the car (with the rear seats folded down).
@Alpinebear, yes thanks, no issues so far. Alpe du Grand Serre uses the DAG system (not Skidata or Axess), so had to pay the extra €1 each for a keycard. Chamrousse tomorrow accepts both Skidata and Axess cards!
Yes, you should definitely give Alpe du Grand Serre a try, but do wait for the right day - good weather and snow. It would be rubbish in poor visibility. Also, they don't always seem to open all the lifts on weekdays, so a weekend would be advised.
I love the Sarenne too. Even if it should really be graded red! The new Chalvet chair is a nice addition, but it has turned the previously quiet Campanules red into the M25
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@denfinella,
Another SH pointed me to this thread.
Great thread - increditably informative. Thanks.
I think the Sarenne is graded black because it includes the "Tunnel" run and moguls, I can't be sure I went there over 25 yers ago!
@welshflyer, no, the Tunnel is not part of Sarenne.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@Hurtle, @welshflyer, The "true" start of both Tunnel and Sarenne is at Pic Blanc 3330m so they are the same for the first few hundred metres until you turn right into the, yes you guessed, tunnel for the Tunnel or continue on for the Sarenne. Lots of people now "do" the Sarenne by joining at Marmottes 3, which is fine as the, sometimes, slab of ice at the cable car exit on Pic Blanc is not always the friendliest. You will not "do" the full 16km run from there though except by taking the chair up to Pic Blanc.
As an aside there is a lovely diversion off the Sarenne called Chateau Noir, which you can access when it is rarely open from the Pic Blanc end via the observatory. The ski instructors favourite story when taking kids up there used to be something like "La Legende De la Phantome de Chateau Noir (crap french, sorry ) because at one point you could not see the draglift that was then on the glacier but you could hear the metallic clack of the poles as they returned into the stack.
@skitow, slightly off topic but do you know the history of the refuge like building just off to the right of the Chalvet arrival?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Alpinebear wrote:
@skitow, slightly off topic but do you know the history of the refuge like building just off to the right of the Chalvet arrival?
I take it you mean the big "lodge" at the bottom of the Combe Charbonniere run ? If you want the truth I have always wondered, asked a few people and never really got an authoritative answer
After all it is free
After all it is free
@skitow, just asked one of the head of sectors who said it was owned by an American who died and has been left to his two sons, one of which would like to turn it into a Gîte.
Monday is promo day at Chamrousse, when lift passes are discounted to €23.40. It's one of the closer resorts to Grenoble / Vizille, with the journey taking about half an hour via a good access road (albeit with lots of hairpins). Loads of free parking. Sunny again today, and feeling quite warm by the end of the day.
Chamrousse claims to have 90km of slopes, though that's probably a bit exaggerated. Slopes are spread along a west facing Belledonne mountainside above three functional resort bases: 1650, 1700 and 1750. The top height is 2250 so overall vertical is quite small, but this belies the fact that many lifts go all the way from top to bottom, so each "lap" you ski is reasonably long.
The main area is very densely packed with pistes - the piste map makes it look a bit messy - and I admit that I was expecting the runs all to be a bit similar. Happily I was wrong - there's a good mix of motorway pistes, narrower trails and traverses (resulting in a lot of dodgy intersections). Two extra sectors add other dimensions: one and a half reds down to the frozen Lacs Robert amidst grand crags on the back, and the north-facing, steep Casserousse sector which goes down to 1400m. Lots of trees, but widely spaced so they don't impede views.
Lifts are excellent: almost entirely detachable chairs and a modern gondola, which meant we could ski every piste in a day despite quite a large area. The number of snowparks, boardercrosses, self-timing runs and fun zones is also seriously impressive.
Favourite runs: Couloir de Casserousse (black, amidst spectacular craggy scenery), Olympique Dames (red), Ours (quiet, winding blue on the far right of the piste map). Also a mention to Marmottes - a genuinely steep, mogulled black, unlike many we have tried this week!
After a packed lunch we decided to have a fondue dinner at La Taverne du Gaulois in Chamrousse 1750. €21.90 each including charcuterie / salad. There were several other restaurants offering the same thing for a lower price, but they weren't so well reviewed online.
Driving back in the dark we had to stop while a group of about a dozen wild boar crossed the road. This was in addition to a fox further up, and a red squirrel we spotted from a piste at Lans en Vercors on Friday.
Chamrousse 1750
Sunset Park from the Berangere chair
Cretes (blue) from the top of the area
Ours (blue) on the far right of the piste map
Ourson (red) above Bachat Bouloud
Jallabres (black) down to the Amoureux chair
Olympiques Hommes (black) under the La Croix gondola
La Croix face from the top of the Casserouse chair
Vallons (black) to Chamrousse 1650
Col de Balme (blue) from Aiguille (green) above Chamrousse 1650
Chamrousse 1650
Lacs Robert (red)
Couloir de Casserousse (black)
Last edited by You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net. on Mon 31-01-22 17:33; edited 1 time in total
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
@denfinella, really, really enjoying this thread, thanks! I'd forgotten about the Couloir de Casserousse, I vaguely remember falling on my ass there when I was learning to ski!
We're seriously thinking about replicating your holiday in February
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Even if they can get the staff, I believe the safety certificates for the gondola and the chairlift above it haven't even been renewed for this season.
